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Re: [OM] Olympus B300 (was: Teleconverters)

Subject: Re: [OM] Olympus B300 (was: Teleconverters)
From: "Hans van Veluwen" <mail@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 22:39:28 +0200
Gary Schloss howled:

: One of the most intriguing possibilities with the B300 is the option
: to mount it on the very sharp Zuiko 55mm F1.2 lens -- to plug a huge
: hole in the Zuiko line-up: the lack of an ultra-fast portrait lens.
: The above combo produces (approx.) a 90mm F1.2 lens, and if it does
: not vignette TOO MUCH, this would be a workable and relatively
: inexpensive solution to a void many Zuiks have been nagging about.

Unfortunately, when the IS/L B-300 HQ 1.7x converter is used on anything
shorter than 135mm, vignetting quickly turns into VIGNETTING! What you get
on 50/55mm is similar to the tunnel effect produced by an 8mm fisheye.
Of course, when used as a portrait lens, it'll save you the costs of a
portrait frame :-)

: A similar approach with the B28 wide-angle teleconverter would
: probably be less promising, as the B28's 0.8X magnification factor
: will get us merely a 45mm F1.2 lens (approx.) -- not wide enough!
: (Has anyone ever tried any of the above combos?  Pls report.)

Now you're talking! When the IS/L B-28 HQ 0.8x converter is mounted on
anything longer than 35mm, it quickly turns into a soft-focus, center-spot
mist effect portrait lens. Ideal to shoot brides and other beautiful girls
with high-key lightings and stuff like that. A real money-safer. No more
filters or soft-focus lenses needed. On a zoom lens, like the one on the
IS-3(000), the soft-effect is variable :-)

: Of course, like always in life or photography :-), one never gets
: something for nothing.  And so, the use of front mounted TC's
: instead of those that come between the camera and the lens, does not
: preserve the lens' minimum focusing distance, i.e. the total minimum
: focusing distance of the entire rig increases considerably (IMHO,
: more than by a factor of 1.7X, but I haven't really measured it).

At least 3 meter, but Mother Oly recommends 5 meter.

: Moreover, with the Olympus B300/B28 attachments it appears to be
: impossible to use filters: there are no threads on their fronts,
: and inserting the filters between the lens and these front-mounted
: TC's may have undesirable effects (I haven't tried it myself).

And is not recommended. Unfortunately, it also means there are no standard
shades applicable. For the 1.7x teleconverter, I got a Mamiya 105-210 shade
for the M645 System that kinda clips into the converter.

What you didn't mention in your OM/IS allience proposals, are the very
interesting Macro Converters for the IS System, which are, unlike the plain
old OM close-up lenses f=40cm, high quality, achromatic lenses. The IS/L HQ
Converter f=40 cm, 55mm thread, and the IS/L A 1:1 HQ converter f=13cm, 49mm
thread, give better results than simple close-up lenses or Macro Tubes. The
f=13cm gives on a 100mm lens lifesize reproductions, and on the 85mm (maybe
better because of its close-focus aberration correction mechanism)
near-lifesize.

IS/Hnz.



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